I'm want to learn cars and I figure the best way is to buy a junker and fix it up...

I'm want to learn cars and I figure the best way is to buy a junker and fix it up. I'm going to go to the local junkyards to see what's on offer.
What are some things to look out for? Brands or models to avoid working on?

geo metro is always the anwser

Mid 90s Hondas are pretty good for this, 3rd gen Integra, 4th-6th gen Civic, etc.

Country?

buy something simple with common parts
4 cylinder to reduce parts cost and only needing to buy 4 of things instead of 6 or 8.
open the hood and see how hard it is to access points on the engine.

Eastern US

Then yeah, this guy's got the right idea:

>want to do same thing as OP
>live in Southwest (West TX)
>all the Mid 90's Hondas around here are either riced to shit by los mexicanos
>or you have to spend double what you paid for on the car on an alarm system so los mexicanos don't steal it
What are other good car brands/models I can buy used and fix up?

Cheap domestic crap maybe? Parts should be fucking everywhere.
Especially trucks.

I'm really tempted to disagree with you because people around here (guess who) will also slap a meme-tax on them because
>eh man its a for' ranger and is ehstandar

>tfw I really really really want to get rid of my euroshitbox and just buy a crappy old Ranger or S10

Yeah, fair enough.
What's your euroshitbox? I have some experience with mid-'90s VW and they're pretty simple to work on.

It's a 2008 MKV Golf, so it could be outside your wheelhouse...

Most junkyards don't sell whole cars, just parts off of them.

ran when parked is a lie.

What about classic cars? What classics can usually be found cheap with problems that also have available parts? Domestic or otherwise

...

>already own an MKV golf
>am slowly developing a distaste for """""""German Engineering"""""""
If I buy an MKII I'm going to end up becoming a "VW guy". I might be okay with that. Are the older models really that much less of a PITA to work on?

...

...

seconding the gas jap car

Easier to work on but has more issues than MK5

want to do the same as op, i already have a car though. 2001 vw lupo 3l, is that easy to fix by oneself?

Why the fuck would you buy german if you wanted something easy to fix

because i live in germany

if you wanted to learn cars then I think an engine swap would be a better choice. like swapping a b or k series into a civic. it's pretty much the same thing as fixing parts in a car, you're just taking shit out and putting it back

what is your point?

Up to the very early 2000s, most VWs were plenty easy to work on.
t. has worked on multiple '90s-early 2000s VWs

BUy anything Chrysler. You'll have to work on it to keep it running. Plus the resale value of them are LOW, so you'll be able to pick up a used one for not much.

Wow you fucked up bro. German vehicles are unnecessarily complex. They're literally rolling Rube Goldberg machines.

lupo is literally the worst vw in terms of fixing

>has more issues than MK5
Like what?

This or a Ford Festiva.

>Play-Skool tier mechanical aptitude required
>a running one in decent condition can be had for less than 1000$
>still have OEM parts available
>surprisingly large amount of aftermarket support
>the Festiva in particular is infamous for the ease of swapping in a B6T

You might need a few things first.

What sort of work are you thinking?

If it is going to be off the road for a while you'll need a flat piece of solid ground to work on it.

It'll need jack stands to sit on while you tinker around underneath too.

Find something you like the look of, The last thing you want is some heap on the driveway that you've given up on.
It has to have available parts that are not all discontinued, you probably don't want to have to scour ebay for hours...and something with a fan base, so there is online information on them too. Sometimes a Haynes or a Bentley manual isn't enough.

If cost is the biggest factor, perhaps check the local pick n pull and start there. They'll be your cheapest parts source. Find the most common car there and buy that model. Go there, practice the work you've got planned then repeat on your own so you don't break your project.